Vito UKI

UKI trail this weekend at a local training school.  Vito was entered in 4 runs on Saturday and I had hopes of earning the 1 "games" Q and 1 jumping Q we needed to move out of the Senior level and into Championships.  Unlike all the other organizations in the U.S., you can't be in different levels as you accumulate some titles but not others.  So despite Vito's many standard agility Qs he has to remain in Senior until his other Qs catch up.

Gamblers was first and Vito was very happy and ran pretty fast.  I timed the opening almost perfectly for the buzzer and start of the gamble.  It was a fairly easy gamble but did involve a rear cross/tandem turn at the start that can be hard for Vito.  Since in UKI you are actually allowed to step over the line (if you have a certain amount of "extra" points in the opening) I planned to attempt the send with distance and then help him if needed. Unfortunately Vito didn't read the rear cross at all and turned the wrong direction so as I stepped over the help him he backed jumped and NQed us.

Agility (standard) was next and since we have a billion of those Qs I chose to run with a toy.  Awesome bonus of UKI is the ability to declare any run a training run and bring a toy on course.  I set Vito's chuck it on the side as usual with a hidden ball in my pocket to surprise him with.  It was a tough, "Snooker-y" by obstacles course and I surprised Vito twice with a ball.  Maybe because of his reward, but Vito powered through the tight section at the end nicely and kept up his speed!  We would have made it clean through the course.

Snakes and Ladders was third and would be another chance at the game Q we needed.  It's a strategy game with rules on what direction obstacles need to be taken but make up your own plan.  Vito was again happy and ran well to qualify!

Jumpers was last and Vito was very pumped.  However he kept staring at the spot I left his Chuck It while I set him on the startline.  I could not get him to look at me or look ahead.  When I finally released him (without a lead out) Vito did a nice job of not sprinting off towards his reward, but instead came directly to me and bypassed the first jump for a refusal and then a backjump as took him back.  I told him he was a dork and had him bark at me and then we re-started the course.  It was one of Vito's fastest jumpers runs ever and he smoked the tough course.  Such a stupid way to NQ.

We were only entered on Saturday but I decided to setup up a day of show entry for Jumpers on Sunday for a 2nd shot at our Senior title and ability to move up at the next show.  It was the first run of the day and when I arrived on Sunday it was a much flowier and faster course than Saturday's courses were.  A Vito course!  But Sad Toller appeared for the run :(  Didn't knock any bars but nicked two of them and overall wasn't moving.  The last several obstacles were just a sprint home on a curve and Vito pulled off one of the jumps for a refusal.  I didn't support it all that well, but at the same time if he was moving with any speed at all there was no reason not to take it.  So no Q. Definitely not worth waking up early and driving out there and it was a sad ending to our great runs on Saturday.